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itariSts who grew up in still a teenager. He joined the leveland have been among musicians' union when he was 16. By Gthe most important and most 1940, when he was 17, he was playing acclaimed in jazz history. They all at parties and country clubs around drew their inspiration from the all­ Cleveland. "I played with band leaders time grand masters of jazz , Clint Noble and Jack Horowitz," he Reinhardt and Charlie said, but he had bigger plans. Christian. "In 1941, I went to to become famous. My father borrowed Fred Sharp $50 on his life insurance policy and Anyone who was even a casual gave me the money to go. Joe Sharp listener ofjazz in Cleveland from the never had money at all. In New York, to the '80s probably heard I put in for my union card. You had to Fred Sharp. He played with stay six months to get your card and I some ofthe biggest names in jazz and went to the union floor every day and was the man credited as his started to get some club dates. The teacher. scale was $7 then for a club date, but In the mid-, when Sharp was most everybody paid $4." growing up in the Glenville area of Courtesy of Fred Sharp When he was still in his teens, Fred Sharp and , Cleveland and listening to music on Sharp remembered he almost starved the 23-year-old son of Sharp's the , the guitar, with a few guitar idol Ojango Reinhardt, in trying to become famous in New exceptions, was not a solo jazz voice, in 1967 York. "I went broke in no time," he but a rhythm instrument. Then one said, "and did not become famous! I day, Sharp heard a Cleveland guitarist on a local lived in a small room with no windows at 18th Street and broadcast. 8th Avenue, below a whorehouse and above a stable. I "At the time I started studying the guitar," said Sharp, rented the room for about $5 a week. I went so broke ''the only guitar you ever heard was in the big bands. My there that I was down to pennies. I remember walking father used to run in and say, 'Fred, Listen quick! Is that down 33rd Street to the main Post Office and going a guitar?' That's all I heard until Dick Lurie had a through all the pay telephones to see if I could fmd any morning radio program and played some solos. He really change. I had almost no money!" got me started." He found just enough money to take a cab back to his Sharp ran out and bought a guitar at a shop on small room. He planned to clean it out and call his father Prospect A venue. He remembered, "It was a Regal and in Cleveland to send some money for him to come home, cost $4.95. I·bought it at Schubert's Music House on but, in the cab, Fred suddenly got lucky. Prospect and I played it until my fmgers started to bleed "I put my hand down on the seat and there was a roll under the nails. I said, 'This is no good!' We took it of bills. I think it was like $50. I didn't tell anybody. I back and my mother bought me a $30 . That same put it right in my pocket. It saved my life! I had 50 bucks guitar today would probably be a collector's item. It and I ate. That lasted two or three days." would probably be worth $300." Sharp paid $10.66 for a train ticket to come home to He took his fIrst lesson from Max Fischer at Cleveland. But he returned to New York at least four or Schubert's. With his brother, Jackie, Fred began playing fIve times later, still seeking fame and fortune in the jazz on children's radio programs on Cleveland's old WTAM. world. He struggled in New York off and on from 1942 "And I studied," he said, " with Jerry Stone, a buddy to 1944 and fmally decided to give up and come home. of (famous player) Eddie Peabody. I learned very In 1945, he met and taught a 15-year-01d Cleveland quickly with Jerry. He was in the old Hippodrome guitarist named Jim Hall. Sharp also formed his own trio Theatre Building. I was with him at least a year. So, I in Cleveland. They played at some of the best spots in had some formal training, much more than most guitar the city and with some ofthe biggest names in jazz. players today. Now, they pick it up, learn a few chords, "I had Hank Kohout on piano," remembered Sharp, and they're off." "and Walter Breeze on bass. We were at Chin's Golden It was Stone who introduced Sharp to the guitar music Dragon on 105th Street. Alternating with us was the Art ofBelgian gypsy , an all-time master of Tatum Trio." the . Later, Sharp accumulated the world's The Tatum Trio included bassist Slam Stewart and largest collection of Reinhardt records. guitarist , who later spent years playing at Sharp began playing gigs in Cleveland when he was Gleason's at East 55th and Woodland. While playing 140 Cleveland Jazz History

opposite the Tatum Trio in Cleveland, Sharp fmally got burning the candle at both ends. He was the only guy I the big break that had eluded him in New York. knew who could play the piano while he was sleeping." "The Trio came to Chin's and played But now, Sharp was playing guitar only on a part­ in the restaurant," he said. "Their guitar player, Allen time basis. He had become a successful manufacturer' s Hamlin, was going in the navy and Adrian needed a guitar agent, selling electronic equipment. player. He didn't know anybody. He came in and heard He had first became interested in ham radio and me one night and said, 'Can you come to New York?, I electronics through a Cleveland friend named Al Gross, said, 'Are you kidding?! ' an unheralded Cleveland inventor. In 1938, while still Rollini had played with legendary artists like Bix in high school in Cleveland, Gross invented the walkie­ Beiderbecke in the . By the mid-1940s, he had talkie. During World War II, Gross invented a top­ switched from bass saxophone to vibraphone and formed secret intelligence communications system for the his own group. government. In 1949, he invented the first Sharp went to New York with Rollini and toured with and later, the first wireless telephone and citizens him for five years, playing mostly long engagements at band radio. top clubs around the country. Sharp was also doing some electronic inventing. He developed a method of transmitting slow-scan color television pictures over ham radio. He also learned to speak French, toured Europe eight times, became an oil painter, and wrote about jazz and electronics for a variety ofmagazines. In 1967, Sharp went to Europe and met Babik Reinhardt, the 23-year-old son of the Clevelander's longtime guitar hero, Django Reinhardt, at the Disques Vogue recording studio in Paris. During that meeting, Babik gave Sharp the guitar his father had played during his American debut in Cleveland in 1946. "I took it to a special packaging company and had it professionally packed," said Sharp, "and shipped to my home in Cleveland." But, when Sharp got home, there was no sign ofthe historic guitar. About a month later, he went to the customs office at Cleveland Hopkins Airport and learned Reinhardt's guitar had been sitting there, waiting for someone to claim it. The customs officer said they Courtesy of Fred Sharp The Adrian Rollini Trio in 1945: couldn't make out the address and just held it. (LtoR) George Nyder, Rollini and Fred Sharp For about 15 years in Cleveland, Sharp played with jazz flutist and author Mark Gridley, who said Sharp One time when the trio was playing at a theatre in was one ofthe best players in the world. Washington, Sharp remembered George Nyder In 1990, Fred Sharp sold his electronics business and, waking up when it was fairly dark outside. He yelled with his wife Iris, retired to Sarasota, Florida, where he to Sharp, "Hurry! Get dressed! We missed two began playing with such jazz names as Bobby shows!!" Sharp called the hotel operator who said it Rosengarden, Bob Haggart, Dick Hyman, Jerry Jerome was 5 a.m., not 5 p.m. and AI Klink. Other Florida musical neighbors included Sharp made one album and several records with saxophonist and bassist Milt Hinton. Rollini's group and later played with 's big The Sharps' son, Todd, became a leading rock band. guitarist. He toured with Bob Welch, Hall and Oates, By the , Sharp was back in Cleveland playing Mick Fleetwood and Rod Stewart. He also recorded guitar with various groups. He remembered one time several albums and composed movie and TV scores. when he was working with pianist Chick Chaiken at the Colony downtown. Chaiken was busy performing Bill de Arango almost every night somewhere and operating his Currier­ In the late 1940s, Clevelander Bill de Arango was Chaikin Music Store and school in Cleveland Heights one ofthe most respected jazz guitarists in the country, during the day. "One night," recalled Sharp, "we were but he suddenly decided to give it up and come home. playing a tune and he kept repeating the first eight bars. Born in Cleveland September 20, 1921, de Arango I looked around at him and he was asleep! He had been grew up in Cleveland Heights. He said there was a lot

------Cleveland Jazz Guitarists 141

good jazz in Cleveland at the time. Cleveland) introduced me at a few "When came into the places and I sat in. I guess they liked Trianon Ballroom on Euclid Avenue," it." Others said de Arango caused quite said de Arango, "the place was a stir on "The Street" with his ability to unbelievable. It was loaded with heavy play at fantastic tempos. energy. Everyone was smiling and , who had played sweating. There were 2,500 people saxophone with the Duke Ellington dancing and 80 guys standing around Orchestra for four years, "came up and the bandstand. Fifty-five of them asked me where I was working. I said I wanted to be musicians." wasn't. He said, 'What's the matter, De Arango and a few non-musician don't you want to work? Come on teenaged friends went to see the Benny down tomorrow night. We start at Goodman Orchestra at the Palace nine.'" De Arango spent a year and a Theatre and went backstage after the Bill de Arango in the 1940s half playing with Webster at such 52nd show. "We were standing there with Street clubs as the Onyx, the Spotlight Goodman," de Arango told me, "and my friends pointed and the Three Deuces. to me and told Goodman, 'He can do it (play guitar), he One night when world heavyweight boxing champ Joe can do it!" When Goodman returned to Cleveland, de Louis walked into a club, Webster, who was nicknamed Arango was there again. Bill recalled, "Benny was "The Brute," playfully gave Louis a shot in the belly. The talking with some guys and he stopped, looked at me, champ staggered and then returned the greeting. Webster and said, 'Hey, don't wander away!'" was taken to the hospital with three cracked ribs. The following year (1939), de Arango went to De Arango said the jazz musicians did not make a lot State University and began working harder on his guitar of money playing at the 52nd Street clubs, but he said, playing. Like almost every guitarist of the period, he "It was a good setting for the music." listened to the records of the amazing young Charlie De Arango soon was recording with some of the Christian who was playing with Goodman. biggest names in jazz. In May of 1945, the 23-year-old When de Arango came home from college, he was Clevelander recorded with Red Norvo, Johnny Guarnieri, hanging around jazz clubs in Cleveland, particularly the Slam Stewart and Feld. It was almost the same group that Hot Spot on West 3rd Street near Superior. Eventually had recorded just a few months earlier as the Benny he was invited to sit in. De Arango told interviewer Goodman Sextet. They recorded "A Bell For Norvo," Stuart Kollar (in Northern Ohio Live, July 1987), "We "Time On My Hands," "On The Upside Looking Down" had good local players in Cleveland and they showed me and even "Jingle Bells." things. Playing with good people, you get better in a De Arango's style was evolving. He later told me, "} hurry." played for the moment - the music that reflected my After playing in an Army band at Fort Sill, Oklahoma thinking." He was beginning to assimilate much of the during World War n, de Arango returned to Cleveland new style of and gravitated toward the bop in 1944 and resumed playing at local clubs. His movement. He said, "What they played was great and the technique and amazing speed began to attract the more we played together, the more they put into me attention of national jazz musicians who came to town. musically." He remembered, "Guys from He recorded with Ike Quebec the Goodman and in August 1945. Then came bands, when they were in town, records with Sarah Vaughan, kept telling me, 'You ought to and Dizzy go to New York.' So I went." Gillespie. His 1946 records He soon found himself on with Gillespie's New York's 52nd Street, a included ''Night In Tunisia" and legendary strip of jazz joints "52nd Street Theme." On the between 5th and 6th Avenues basis of these recordings de where musicians and fans Arango was considered one of circulated from club to club. the top jazz guitarists in the "After listening to some ofthose country. He won Esquire great artists, I decided I better go magazine's New Star award. home," said de Arango. "But Bill de Arango playing with Ben Webster and But he was becoming drummer Morey Feld (from Charlie Parker dissatisfied. De Arango said the 142 Cleveland Jazz History audiences were largely inattentive. The things that you don't do in school learning Clevelander decided to leave New York. He music. He would put a record on and just returned briefly in 1948 and led his own group say, 'play!' It was a more inductive kind of which featured a then-unknown young learning. It wasn't really deductive at all." vibraphonist named Terry Gibbs, but he According to Ferrazza, de Arango never decided to leave the national jazz scene. wanted to stay with one thing for very long. Years later, when he was asked why he left The young student believed that is why de New York, de Arango was unable to explain it. Arango gave up the national jazz scene in He said, "I really don't know. It was a great 1948. "I think he was possibly looking for thing then, but 1 don't know why 1 left." new things musically to do and might have He lived in Florida for a while before .. felt a bit stagnated by that scene. He coming home to Cleveland. He opened a de Arango in 1981 probably thought it was time for a change and music shop and studio at Cedar Center in came back to Cleveland." University Heights. He studied, taught, and played a few Bill de Arango played his way for more local gigs in relative obscurity, except for a 1954 album, than six decades and taught countless students some of Together, which he recorded for EmArcy Records. the lessons he had learned ftrst-hand while playing with It included "Gone With The Wind," "All God's Children such all-time jazz giants as Gillespie, Webster, Parker Got Rhythm," "The Nearness of You," "The Gypsy In and Ellington. No one ever questioned that the music de My Soul," "Dancing On The Ceiling," "Summertime" Arango played was jazz. and "These·Foolish Things." In the 1960s, de Arango's style continued to evolve. Bill de Arango Discography One reviewer wrote, "De Arango's improvisations frequently bordered on complete freedom and some ofthe 1945· With Sarah Vaughan, , Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips, Tadd Dameron, & : most complex jazz with probably the fastest fmgering "What More Can a Woman Do?," "I'd Rather Have a ability in the country." De Arango said at the time he was Memory," "Mean to Me" • With Slam Stewart Quintet: "Honeysuckle Rose," being influenced by classical composers Schoenberg and "Mood to be Steward." "Voice of the Turtle," "Slammin' Hindemith. He said it was Charlie Parker who had fIrst the Gate," " Jingle Bells," "On the Upside Looking introduced him to classical music. Down," "Time on My Hands," "Bell For Norvo." • With Charlie Kennedy: "I Can't Give You Anything Always outspoken, de Arango said, "Jazz players gave But Love," "," "I Can't Get Started," the scene away to rock 'n roll players," who according to "Whispering," "I'll See You in My Dreams." de Arango, ''worried about their importance and put • With Ike Quebec: "Girl of My Dreams," "Jim Dawgs," "Scufflin'," "I.Q. ." themselves ahead of the music. They (the younger jazz 1946· With Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra: "52nd Street musicians) wanted to play concerts without the heat and Theme," "A Night in Tunisia," "01' Man Rebop," "Anthropology· emotion that the old thing had. Jazz is not supposed to be • With Trummy Young Orchestra: "Don't Be a Baby," cool. The last thing an audience wants to do is sit and "Lazy Lullaby," Try Try Again," "Tidal Wave." intellectualize about the music." • With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Quintet: "Surgery," "Lockjaw," "Afternoon in a Doghouse," "Athlete's Foot." Ironically, in 1971, 50-year-old de Arango was playing • Bill de Arango Septet with Ben Webster and Sid with a local Cleveland group called Henry Tree which Catlett: "The Jeep is Jumpin',""1 Got It Bad and That combined elements of both jazz and rock. In 1983, he Ain't Good," "Dark Corners," "Blues Mr. Brim" • With Ben Webster Quintet: "Frog and Mule," recorded a completely different kind ofalbum with fellow "Spang," "Doctor Keets," " Park and Tilford Blues" Clevelanders Jamey Haddad and . It was a far • Bill de Arango Septet with Ben Webster: "Goin' cry from his early days in . Back to Washington," "Did You Ever Set to Thinkin'," "Suzie Bee," "I Ain't Gonna Marry" Asked about his series ofchanging styles ofplaying, 1947· With Charlie Ventura Sextet: "Synthesis," ·Soothe de Arango told me, "I don't think of styles. I just want Me," "Blue Champagne," "Stop and Go" • Charlie Ventura Camegie Hall Concert LP: "Ghost to play music." of a Chance," "Characteristically B.H.," "Ralph Burns Approaching h is 80th birthday and living in a nursing Up," "Just You Just Me" home in East Cleveland, de Arango said he did not like 1954· Bill de Arango Quartet: Alone Together LP: "Alone Together," "Gone With the Wind," "All God's Children much ofthe jazz he was hearing in 2001 . "It's all simple Got Rhythm," "The Nearness of You," "The Gypsy in and repetitive," he said, "and they call it 'jazz?! '" My Soul," "Dancing on the Ceiling," "Summertime," But more than playing, de Arango was teaching. "These Foolish Things" 1971· With Henry Tree (rock group): Electric Holy Man Among his students in the 1980s was Bob F errazza, who 1978· Another Time/Another Place LP said, "It was like learning from a Zen master. Sometimes 1981· With Joe Lovano: 298 Street LP we'd just sit and think and talk about the music in a real 1993· With Joe Lovano: Anything Went LP deep and serious way." Ferrazza said, "We would do , .

Cleveland Jazz Guitarists 143

Jim Hall While they were at John Adams High School, Hall Fred Sharp's and saxophonist Tony DiNardo formed their own group onetime student, and began playing gigs. Playing with Hall at the time Jim Hall, went on to was teenaged pianist Joe Howard wh.o remembered, become one of the "We would camp out in Mantua, where my dad had a most respected farm, and listen to Lenny Tristano records and try to guitarists in jazz figure out, 'What is that song based on?'" Born September Hall's mother was alarmed by her son's enormous 4, 1930 in Buffalo, interest in jazz. Years later, he said, "My mom felt that New York, Hall was jazz music was a little too sexy or emotional or only a few months something. She didn't like me playing the nightclubs old when his family when I was 15, which I was doing. 1 can't blame her for moved to Geneva in that." Lake County, Ohio, His mother called Cleveland guitarist Fred Sharp who where his uncle had later told me, "She said, 'He wants to quit school and he's a farm. Hall only 15. Could you talk to him?''' Sharp said, "Hall remembered the first wasn't very good at the time, but he wanted to be a guitar music he heard was player. He had heard me play and he knew that 1 had Jim Hall his uncle Ed playing done some playing." Sharp began giving guitar lessons to country songs like the 15-year-old Hall. "I talked him into staying in school, "Wabash Cannon Ball" on the guitar. He said his mother which 1 am quite proud Of. 1 said, 'Look, 1 can get you in "played the piano a little bit." After spending a year on a band, but you'll be the kid in the band and you have so his uncle's farm and after his parents had split up, he much time. Why don't you do your school and then moved with his mother and brother to Cleveland where there'll be plenty oftime to play?' He did." they lived in various rooming houses. Hall later recalled Sharp also introduced Hall to the records of such his mother supported her sons by working as a secretary guitarists as , Dick McDonough and Django at a tool company. When Jim was eight, they moved to a Reinhardt. new WP A housing project, Woodhill Homes, at East 96th Hall said years later he still had never heard better and Woodland Avenue, and lived there until he was 25. than those played by Christian and Reinhardt. He His mother gave Jim a guitar for Christmas. It also listened to saxophonist and pianist took a year for her to make the payments. The . He went to the Palace Theatre to see the Duke youngster was fascinated with the instrument and Ellington and Artie Shaw Orchestras, particularly when quickly learned to play it. He took lessons from Jack guitarist was playing with Shaw. DuPerow and said his favorite song at the time was In a videotaped interview, Hall remembered the first "Music, Maestro, Please." I time he saw Ellington: "The band was behind a scrim, a By the time he was 13, Hall was playing with a sort of half curtain. You sort of knew there were teenage band consisting of guitar, , drums and musicians back there. And they started playing 'A accordion. He recalled, "The accordion was big in Train' and about halfway through the piece, the scrim Cleveland at the time." He said the clarinet player in the went up and there was the band. It was really a thrill! teenage band loved records and played That experience stayed with me." "Solo Flight" for Hall. That record featured the solo After graduating from high school where he played guitar of . Hall called it "instant bass in the school band, Hall enrolled at the Cleveland addiction." He rushed out and bought a 78 rpm album Institute ofMusic. "It was a great decision. I was there of the Goodman Sextet, and he didn't even own a for five years and I majored in music theory. 1 had five phonograph. years of counterpoint and music theory and I heard all "I didn't know for sure what that was," said Hall later, kinds of music from Gregorian chants all "but I knew I wanted to do it. I started trying to learn through electronic music." Hall wrote a string quartet how to improvise and how to become a jazz player." piece as his master's thesis. The three-movement piece Hall was impressed not only with Christian's solo won a Danishjazz prize for a string quartet composition. playing, but with "the stuff he did with the meter. He Other students at ClM at the time included modem turned it around. It was really brilliant. I suspect he classical composer Donald Erb, composer Hale Smith was some kind ofan incredible intellect because he had and , a onetime member of the Evelyn a combination of musicality and intelligence which I Freeman Ensemble in Cleveland who later became an think is really rare." internationally respected choral director and arranger. 144 Cleveland Jazz History

Hall believed he was heading toward a career in now-classic jazz album The Bridge. In 1962, he classical music, but while studying at CIM, he continued recorded the Interplay and Undercurrent albums with playing jazz on weekends. He frequently ran into the pianist . relatives ofJoe Lovano. "I knew his dad, Tony Lovano, Hall was one of the rising stars ofjazz when he got a tenor player," said Hall, "and his uncle, Carl Lovano, married in 1965 at the age of 35. With a new wife, he a trumpet player." decided to get off the road and, in a sense, settle down. In 1955, after getting a bachelor' s degree from the He took a job playing in the house band for Merv CIM, but not completing his master's, Hall decided to Griffin' s television show. Hall later said it was "a concentrate on jazz. With alto saxophonist Ray factory job, a way not to travel. I did it for three and a Graziano, Jim went to California "to seek my fortune." half years and made a modest income, not a terrific To get there, they agreed to deliver a car for somebody amount of money." From a music standpoint, Hall said and paid only for the gas. They drove the lavender the TV work was like a day job. "It was like being out Cadillac convertible from Cleveland to Los Angeles and ofmusic," he said. In one interview, he recalled the TV stayed at the Hollywood home of Hall's 90-year-old job as "the low point" of his career. great aunt. Valve trombonist Bob also played in the Hall got a job at TV show band. Brookmeyer was less diplomatic than a used Hall when he later said, "Short of putting a stake ·4111 store and eventually, through my heart, I found out that I indeed had been in with some help from the world ofadults before and I just joined the world of Clevelander Joe ungifted, untalented and angry children in television." Dolny, got a job Gradually, Hall began moving back into what he playing with a new called "creative music." He managed to mesh his career group being formed with his wife's. She was a psychoanalyst with a steady by . practice and did some teaching. She also worked in During his year and radio and had a sense of music programming. a half with He came back strong in the 1970s and began making Hamilton , Hall a stir with a number of excellent jazz albums. Whitney played on two LPs Balliet, in hjs book American Musicians, said Hall Jim Hall in 1956 and began to didn't look capable ofcreating a stir ofany sort. Balliet impress a number of wrote that Hall had three principal expressions: a wide important jazz musicians. In 1956, he recorded All smile; a child' s frown; and a calm, pleased playing mask Night Session, Volumes 1, 2 and 3 with Hampton - eyes closed, chin slightly lifted, and mouth ajar." Said Hawes, and Bruz Freeman. Balliet, "He could easily be the affable son ofthe stony­ In 1957 he joined the Trio and faced farmer in the painting "American Gothic." recorded two albums with the group. "It was a great The guitarist who had lived on a farm in Geneva, experience for me," remembered Hall. "It really Ohio and grew up and learned to play guitar in incorporated a lot ofthe stuff that I had been exposed to Cleveland, established himself as one of the leading in music school." guitarists in jazz. He was nominated for a Grammy and Later, he toured South America with . won the DownBeat Readers' Poll for Best Jazz Guitarist. Hall was also influenced by ' s longtime Writing in the March 1975 New Yorker, Balliet said, guitarist . "The first time I met him," said "Jim Hall has a grace and inventiveness and lyricism that Hall, "was on the Sound ofJazz television show that Nat make him pre-eminent among contemporary guitarists and Hentoff helped put together. When everybody left the put him within touching distance of the two grand studio, Freddie was sitting there reading the newspaper. masters, Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt." I was a kid and I said, 'Hi, Freddie. Would you mind if In a 1992 interview in The Plain Dealer, Hall I take a look at your guitar?' And he looked at me and admitted, "It' s never been easy for me to play fast. I feel said, 'Yes I would.''' Later, the two guitarists became ifI were an athlete, I'd be a marathon guy rather than do good friends. the 100-yard dash." Explaining his spare and subtle Hall's first album as a leader was called Jim Hall style, Hall said, "1 think silence allows the listener to get Jazz Guitar. He made it in 1957 with bassist Red into what you're playing, to react to what you've just Mitchell and pianist . played and anticipate the next thing." In 1959, Hall performed with saxophonists Ben In the summer of 1992, Hall telephoned his old Webster and . teacher. Fred Sharp said, "He called me especially to In 1961 he teamed up with on the thank me for teaching him. He said he felt remiss, in all - Cleveland Jazz Guitarists 145

Jim Hall's LPs and CDs

1956 - All Night Sessions - Vol. 1 (OJC) 1956 - All Night Sessions - Vol. 2 (OJC) 1956 - All Night Sessions - Vol. 3 (OJ C) 1956 - Chico Hamilton in Hi-Fi (Vogue) 1956 - The Chico Hamilton Trio (Vogue) 1957 - Jim Hall Jazz Guitar (PaCific Jazz) 1958 - Street Swingers (EMI) 1959 - The Train and River with Jimmy Giuffre (Atlantic) 1959 - 7 Pieces with Jimmy Giuffre (Verve) Courtesy Telarc Intemational 1959-65 - The Complete Recordings of the Paul Desmond Jim Hall, , Joe Lovano and Lewis Quartet with Jim Hall (RCA) 1960 - Good Friday Blues (Vogue) Nash recording live in Cambridge, Mass. in 2000 1961 - The Bridge with Sonny Rollins (RCA) 1961-62 - Desmond Blue/Late Lament (RCA) the years that have gone by, that he never called me and 1962-63 - The Sessions with (West Side) thanked me for helping him get started." 1962 - Undercurrent with Bill Evans (Blue Note) In 1993, Hall began recording for Telarc International 1962 - Interplay with Bill Evans (OJ C) ofCleveland. He said, "Telarc has been great and pretty 1962 - Loose Bloose with Bill Evans (Milestone) 1963 - Interaction with (Atlantic) much allowed me to record what I wanted." The first 1963 - Uve at the Half-Note with Art Farmer (Atlantic) CD for Telarc was Dedications and Inspirations. The 1963 - Something's Coming (RCA) second was Dialogues which included duets with such 1963 - Natural Soul (Milestone) 1964 - Art Farmer Meets Mulligan and Hall (Moon) artists as Clevelander Joe Lovano and trumpeter Tom 1964 - Two Jims and Zoot (Mainstream) Harrell. With Lovano, Hall played one of his own 1966 - Intermodulation with Bill Evans (Verve) compositions, "Bon Ami," a song he composed to play at 1969 - It's Nice to be With You (MPS) 1971 - Where Would I Be? (OJC) a Django Reinhardt festival. Hall said Lovano was 1972 - Alone Togetherwith (OJC) "amazing with a great positive spirit." Lovano said Hall 1973 - Jim Hall Uve! (Horizon) 1975 - (Columbia) "is one of the greatest improvisors of all time - on 1976 - Commitment (A&M) whatever instrument it happens to be." According to 1979 - Uve at the (Challenge) Lovano, Hall has influenced all of the great guitar 1981 ~ Circles (Concord) 1981 - First Edition with (Concord) players of his generation. 1981 - Concerto de Aranjuez (Evidence) In 1996, Hall made a third album for Telarc, Textures. 1982 - Uve at Vii/age West (Concord) Itspotlighted his composing skills and included 16 strings 1984 - Telephone with Ron Carter (Concord) 1986 - Jim Hall's Three (Concord) and seven brass instruments on some ofthe songs. Hall's 1988 - (Denon) daughter, Devra, said the seeds of Textures were planted 1989 - (Concord) years earlier when he studied composition at the 1990 - Live at the Town Hall, Vols. 1 & 2 (MusicMasters) Cleveland Institute of Music. 1991 - Subsequently (MusicMasters) In January of 2000, Hall recorded live with Lovano 1992 - Youkali (CTI) at the Regattabar in the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, 1993 - Something Special (MusicMasters) 1993 - Dedications and Inspirations (Telarc) Massachusetts. The CD, produced by Cleveland's 1995 - Dialogues with Joe Lovano and Telarc International, was with the quartet called Grand (Telarc) Slam. Backing Hall and Lovano were bassist George 1996 - Textures with Joe Lovano (Telarc) 1997 - Panorama: Live at the Village Vanguard (Telarc) Mraz and drummer Lewis Nash. The compact disc 1998 - By (Telarc) included four Hall original compositions and three 1999 - Jim Hall & (Telarc) Lovano originals. 2000 - Grand Slam with Joe Lovano (Telarc) 2001 - Jim Hall & Basses (Telarc) One criticism of Hall's work was that he lacked a style. Hall admitted, "I'm not sure 1 have what' s called a style. But 1 have an approach to music that, in a way, is interesting. 1 try to consciously allow myself to grow Bob Ferrazza - more ofan attitude or approach to the music. 1 don 't He had no intention ofgetting into jazz when he first like to be boxed in or to be labeled." took up the guitar. Looking back on his career, Hall had some difficulty "I wanted to be a rock star," said Bob Ferrazza. 1 had comprehending the world-wide acclaim he was a friend next door who had an awful guitar with the receiving. "I played in a theatre in Japan," he recalled, strings six inches offthe fret board. I borrowed his guitar "and 1 was standing backstage thinking, 'How did 1 get and a starter book. I did that for about six months. here from the housing project in Cleveland, Ohio?'" Eventually, my parents bought me a guitar." 146 Cleveland Jazz History

Ferrazza began playing rock guitar, but quickly tired with the band. He said, 'How long will it take you to of simply trying to imitate rock stars. He wanted to add read that?' I said, 'I don't really know.' !really wanted something ofhimself to the music. One day, he heard a to get in the band so I said ' not long.' I guess Howie . different kind ofguitar record. "It was liked it enough. I was able to play in a slow thing. I didn't even know it was the band. Ferrazza learned to read jazz. It was playing while playing in Smith's CSU big band 'This Masquerade.' In fact, I think I and continuing to study with de was washing my dad's car when I Arango. heard it on the radio. It was At about the same time, he began something! You know, when you hear playing gigs around town. "We played music that just gets your attention, you wherever we could, mostly at parties. can't really describe it? It makes you I think my first real job was at Turkey feel something. It gets you excited! Ridge on Coventry. I was 18 or 19. That was the first jazz that I heard, and We got a little band together. The I never thought much about it other other things that followed were the than I liked that. So when I heard inner-city type things, like for no George Benson' s name, I wanted to money, but playing with some good hear what he had after that. 1 was people. 1 think they got me into the interested. " right type of music and got me steeped Ferrazza heard other guitar records in the right sort of traditions, learning by people like . "I how to swing. I think that's important. Nancy Ann Lee started to get interested in ' jazz. A Bob Ferrazza It's real important!" Ferrazza began friend of mine suggested that I get in making a name for himself with both touch with this guitar player named Bill de Arango, a musicians and audiences in Cleveland. famous jazz guitar player. I was really gung-ho. I In 1986, the young jazz guitarist got the opportunity wanted to learn everything I could about the instrument. to playa Northeast Ohio Jazz Society concert backing I called him up and he said, 'Come on over.' That was singer Ernestine Anderson at Case Western Reserve it. He played me some records and I was hooked." University' s Harkness Chapel. Not long afterward, When F errazza went to de Arango for his first lesson, F errazza was saluted by DownBeat magazine as one of de Arango had him first listen to some jazz records by the country' s "Most Deserving Young Jazz Musicians." . "That was the first jazz that I heard that In 1991 he produced his first album, a compact disc was mysterious. I didn' t know what it was. I'd never called Personal. "It was a huge thrill," he said. The heard music like that. I didn 't hear that when 1 was a album included two standards and five Ferrazzaoriginal kid. It was just incredibly mysterious music to me." compositions, including one song with the unusual title Unlike many other musicians who first played at very "Spiritual ." "It is just a phrase," he said, "that a early ages, Ferrazza was 15. He never played in school friend of mine used to talk about being in a bad mood. bands. But, while studying with de Arango, he I liked the phrase. So the next time I got in a bad mood, graduated from Brush High School and enrolled at I thought about that phrase. Later, I wanted to have an Cleveland State University where he studied aggressive tune that would express that." composition with Bain Murray and with Howie Smith. "My goals are musical goals," said Ferrazza. "I have He said he was intimidated when he tried out for Smith' s things that I want to do on the guitar, things I want to do CSU . "When I auditioned for it, you had to musically. Those are my goals. I just want to play the read music. I had resigned myself to not being able to guitar as well as I can. I have a sound in my head that make the jazz band, but I went to the audition anyway. after all these years, I still haven't achieved on the I was completely intimidated, but they were auditioning guitar, but I'm always striving for." on a blues. So I figured, 'Well, a blues I could play.' I In September of 1992, Ferrazza played at New could hear they were playing F blues so I just got up York's famous Blue Note club, but unlike many other and played F blues when it was my term to play. Howie ambitious young jazz artists, he has no great, burning wrote the tune so he knew I wasn 't reading the music; I desire to move to New York. "Hey, music is the same was just playing F blues. There were certain things that no matter where you play it and I would like to stay I would miss that were in there. But I could play along here. I love Cleveland. This is a great town!"